High School Staff BIOs

Motto: "If you neglect to increase your vocabulary knowledge, these words will pile up and follow you everywhere until you look up for their definitions."

B.A.from Gallaudet University formerly known as Gallaudet College, 1985

M.A from McDaniel College formerly known as Western Maryland College, 1996

I began my job career as a chemist for the Department of Defense and as a Manufacturing Engineer for a private company for nine years. As a result of these work experiences, I then pursued a third career applying my work experiences into teaching deaf and hard of hearing students, sharing my passion and fascination in studying the different branches of sciences: Physical Science, Earth Science, Life Science, Chemistry, and Physics.

Tamara Burnett Penny

Teaches multiple disabled students in a variety of subjects at the high school level including culinary arts, English, math, science, social studies and life skills. Tamara earned her education degree from Kent State University and went on to earn advanced degrees and certifications from Gallaudet University in school counseling and the University of Dayton in educational leadership. Tamara has been at the Ohio School for the Deaf for 17 years and previously worked in administration. This is her fifth yearin the classroom. Prior to joining OSD, Tamara was a mental health therapist in the community for seven years.

Tamara’s personal mantra is that every student can learn, if given the resources to do so. Her favorite quote “Everyone is born a genius but if you try to teach a fish to climb a tree, it will spend its entire life believing it is stupid”

William L. Costello

Undergrad from Ohio University, Vocational (Masonry) Certificate from Ohio State University and Master’s Degree in Special Education from University of Toledo. Teaching Horticulture, Vocational Printing, Life Skills and Career Education. This is my 18th year of teaching, all at OSD. My favorite quote by Bob Dylan: “May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift and may you stay forever young!

Cody Seesholtz

I joined OSD in the summer of 2015 as a new high school Math Teacher. I chose OSD because I felt a strong bond to all the students and staff here during my student-teaching. I knew right away that it was the place I was meant to be.

I have been teaching High School Mathematics including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics. This is my first year of teaching as an official teacher but I have had many experience student-teaching: Oregon School for the Deaf, Northland High School, and Athens City Schools.

Earned Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science Education from Ohio University and Master of Education in Deaf Education from Ohio State University.

Teaching has always been a calling of mine ever since I was little. Mom would tell me stories of me teaching others ever since I could sign. Mom often recalls me teaching her MD students how to draw, add, subtract, and sign. What I love the most about my job are my students. They mean a lot to me and it encourages me to do the best job I could possibly do.

"The best teachers are those that show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see."

Leslie MacFarland

I joined OSD in February 2006 as a teacher’s aide atACC. I followed my husband’s job offer that he wanted to take at OSD. I set myfoot in the door while most everyone has gotten to know me better and that washow I got myself in subbing for a few years until a teaching position was open.All the waiting was worth it! I’ve taught a wide range of levels
from preschool to high school as a sub teacher. I taught a variety of subjects
in all grade levels. I first taught math in middle school at the Virginia
School for the Deaf, Staunton, VA for two and half years before I came to OSD. I attended mainstreaming schools all my life until I
graduated. I went to Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York
with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in deaf
education. I have always wanted to become a teacher since I was
little. I used to play school with my friends and came up with different things
to teach them. When I was in high school, I babysat a 9-year-old deaf girl with
no language and her mother asked me to teach her sign language. I was only 17
years old at that time and created different flash cards to label everything
around the house to expose her with vocabulary. That was when I knew I wanted
to become a teacher for sure. What I love the most about my job is to see how
much students have improved overtime and they brighten up their faces when they
“get it” after figuring out an answer.

“Tell me, I’ll
forget

Show me, I’ll remember

Involve me, I’ll understand”

Brooke Hohlbaugh

My name is Brooke Hohlbaugh and I teach high school social studies. I graduated in May 2013 from Kent State University with a Bachelor's in Deaf Education. This is my third year teaching and I am extremely excited to have joined the OSD family as a teacher! The students teach me more everyday, and I look forward to continuing to learn more alongside our students here!

Janel Kisner -

My name is Janel Kisner, and I teach High School Language Arts/ASL. I joined OSD in the Fall of 2011; teaching language arts for one year in middle school and one year in high school. Starting the Fall of 2013, I will be teaching ASL through IVDL (Interactive Video Distance Learning), reaching many schools across the state of Ohio. Prior to joining OSD, I taught high school language arts at the New Mexico School for the Deaf for two years. I also tutored English, and taught ESL and college level courses at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. for many years. I have a Bachelor’s in English Writing, a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education, and a Master’s in Deaf Education, all from Gallaudet University. I’m currently working on my dissertation for my Ph.D. in Education from Capella University,and hope to finish by early 2014. I enjoy working with deaf students because I want them to reach their fullest potential, and not allow them to say “I can’t” when I know they can, and by being a role model they can look up to.

Jeff Jones -

After receiving my Master Degree in Deaf Education from McDaniel College in 1996, I was hired in 1997 to teach high school students. With my under graduate BA degree in History from Gallaudet University ’94, I teach mostly social studies course. Social Studies courses at OSD includes US and World History, Economics, Financial Literacy, Geography, Global Issues, and US Government.

Work hard and give 110 percent effort and the rest will take care of itself

Angie Layman -

Angie Layman earned her Masters of Education degree in Deaf Education from The Ohio State University. Her undergraduate degree is also from OSU, in Speech and Hearing Science. She obtained her Masters of Physical Education, from OSU, shortly after being hired at OSD in 2001.

This is Angie’s 14th year of teaching; she teaches HS Health and Child Development, as well as Physical Education for all grades. Her motto is "One week without exercise makes one weak".

Mary Ellen Cox

I have been working at OSD for 23 years. I got my BSC from Ohio University. I have attended CSCC, Ohio State University, University of Toledo and have a MS from Ashland University. I am licensed in Speech Pathology, Deaf Education and Blind and VI. I have worked in many areas here at OSD including ACC, Target, Vocational, IVDL, Elem, MS, and HS. At the present time I am co-editor in yearbook, ELA teacher in MS and Life Skills teacher. I love working with all ages of children and I especially love the language and culture alive here at the Ohio School for the Deaf! We have a wonderful staff and I learn something new every day! My motto is I’ve learned that people will forget what you said and people will forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou

Amy Massey-Norton

I teach the Middle School Multiple Disabilities Classroom

This is my 4th year at OSD; two years as a Youth Leader and two years as a teacher
I earned a Bachelor's in Education from Kent State University and also attended Columbus State and Ohlone College for Interpreting.
Attending high school with Deaf peers is what sparked my interest in learning ASL.

Angela Smith

I attended Kent State University where I received a BA in Deaf Education. I then went on to obtain a MA in Reading and also a Reading Endorsement from The Ohio State University. I plan to continue my education by going back to school to take more graduate level courses at some point.
I was hired at OSD as an Elementary teacher in 2006. I had one year of long term subbing experience in a deaf education program before I was hired here. I had heard good things about OSD and when given the opportunity to work here, I didn’t want to pass it up. Since working here, I’ve held three positions. For my first six years, I taught in the Elementary Department, the next three I was the Reading Specialist, and this year I am teaching High School ELA.
I really loved different aspects about all of the positions I’ve held here at OSD. I taught in the elementary department before I had my own children and I really loved being around little kids. My favorite part about that position was seeing their growth from when they started in the Fall to where they were in the Spring. It was always such an amazing sense of accomplishment that I felt. As the reading specialist, I loved getting to work with so many different kids on a daily basis. Not only did I tutor more than half of the elementary students, but I also got to know students from middle and high school as well. Finally, as a high school teacher, I love that I am working with young adults and am learning so much about them and their lives through what they do in my class. It is a nice change of pace to work with students at this level, now that I have two young children of my own at home. With any of the positions that I have had, I have always loved the same thing about teaching, and that is student success. There is nothing better than seeing the look on a student’s face when they learn a new word, improve their reading level, pass a quiz/test, etc. When I see that, I know I am doing my job well.
My favorite quote is…”If you’re handed it, you can handle it.”--Unknown